Abstract
A bibliographic review was carried out to establish the state of knowledge of a mining area with several centuries of exploitation and currently abandoned. The selected case study, the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Union (Spain), has a long history of mining activity, ending in 1990. The area is rich in metallic sulphide (lead, zinc and iron), with underground mines and quarries. The zone is very close to important populations and affects protected sites of special ecological value. It is also adjacent to areas dedicated to agriculture and important centres of tourist interest. It is a territory that meets the requirements to be classified as a critical area, as it is in a state of unstable physical and geochemical equilibrium, giving rise to possible risks to human health and ecosystems. A literature review was carried out according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology criteria, consulting a large number of related publications. The results obtained using the Source-Pathway-Receptor model make it possible to identify the main impacts caused by the contamination sources, the main routes of contamination, as well as the transfer to the biota and the influence on adjacent agricultural soils. In this study, lead, cadmium, zinc, arsenic, copper and manganese were considered as potential toxic elements (PTEs), and data were obtained on concentrations in soil, water and air as well as in fauna and flora. Finally, once the receptors and the associated risks to the ecosystem and human health were identified, a conceptual model of the contamination was drawn up to consider a management proposal to tackle the problems associated with this area, which would also be applicable to critical mining zones.
Highlights
Abandoned mining areas present some common characteristics associated with the degradation of the original ecosystem
This paper addresses the current environmental problems represented by Critical Abandoned Mining Areas (CAMAs) as Spain, analysing seen the ininfluence on the local population, agricultural soils and nearby the case of the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión (SM), located in south eastern coastal areas
Without entering into debate about who holds the power to respond to the problem of the heavy metals left from past mining activities, this law does not establish specific protection measures for immediate application, as has happened in the case of agriculture, livestock rearing and urban development. This means that the situation has not changed, and this Mining Critical Zone continues without a plan, without specific actions to execute in a given time limit in order to prevent or at least decrease the amount of potential toxic elements (PTEs) reaching the Mar Menor lagoon
Summary
Abandoned mining areas present some common characteristics associated with the degradation of the original ecosystem. These include impacts on the relief, changes in the fluvial network, effects on fauna and flora, and transformations of physico-chemical properties and chemistry of soil, stream waters, groundwater and biota related to the distribution and dispersion of contaminants in the surface environment They are difficult to manage, have no defined legal framework and can be considered as orphan areas [1], representing Critical Abandoned Mining Areas (CAMAs) [2]. This paper addresses the current environmental problems represented by CAMAs as Spain, analysing seen the ininfluence on the local population, agricultural soils and nearby the case of the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión (SM), located in south eastern coastal areas. To this end, a conceptual model of the state of contamination of thecoastal.
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